Container opening device



Feb. 20, 1%68 R LA BARGE 3,369,592

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Filed May 5, 1966 INVENTOR.

IQOBEQT A. Aw? EHBGE.

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United States Patent G ice This invention relates to sealed containers and more particualrly to opening devices therefor.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide an effectively sealed container which may be safely and easily opened without the need for independent tools.

Many of these provide visual means of determining whether the container has been tampered with or previously opened. In many conventional bottle or jar type closures, if the closure was sulficiently loose to permit.

easy opening, problems of gas transmission, reduced impact resisance and product contamination were frequently encountered. Sealing the container in a more substantial manner produced difficulty in opening the container as well as causing damage to the closure liner by the container mouth. As a result, much effort has been directed toward the development of suitable closure liner lubricants. These, by and large, have not been completely successful. Even where test samples of a given lubricant have yielded reasonably effective results, the quantity of lubricant required for each closure is so small that a lack of uniformity of quantity and thickness of coating and resultant required opening force have developed. With the mass production of large quantities of relatively low priced closures, increased inspection of individual closures is not economically feasible.

In addition, foreign particles frequently collected adjacent the closure and were drawn into the container contents when the container was opened. This problem was particularly acute with respect to vacuum packages wherein the initial inwardly directed rush of air created upon breaking the seal would frequently carry impurities into the container.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container which will consistently provide effective sterile sealing to protect the contents, while being capable of easy opening without the need for separate implements.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a container opening device which may be readily grasped and operated, safely and without difficulty.

Another object of this invention is to provide a container assembly which may be sealed as tightly as desired without being concerned about possible detrimental effect upon opening qualities.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a container which will provide a visual indication of any tampering or previous opening of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of the invention and reference to the illustrations appended hereto, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the sealed container having a type of opening device of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the container illustrating the opening device;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a wall member which is adapted to form a portion of the opening device;

FIGURE 4 is an opening member adapted to cooperate with the wall member of FIGURE 3 to form the opening device;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an opening device employed with this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a view through 6-6 of the opening device illustrated in FIGURE 2.

3,369,692 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 For purposes of clarity and simplicity, in making exemplary reference to specific embodiments of the invention, use in a closure for bottles, jars or vials will be discussed. It will be appreciated that the'invention is equally applicable to cans and other containers having a substantially rigid wall portion adapted to receive the opening device of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a container 1 has a container wall 2 within which is disposed a removable portion 3 defined by at least one weakened or second line 4. Within the removable portion 3 is a raised boss or rivet 5. In the form illustrated in FIGURE 5, the shank 8 of the boss 5 has a cross-sectional configuration which is substantially oval shaped. The opening member is a disc 9 having an orifice 7 of substantially oval shape. In assembling the opening device, boss 5 is passed through the orifice 7 of the opening member. The boss is then downwardly collapsed to secure the opening member to the container wall, as shown in FIGURE 2.

In order to effect opening of the container, the disc 9 is rotated about the vertical central axis of the boss or rivet 5. As both the shank 8 of the boss 5 and the orifice 7 of the disc 9 are oval in shape, after rotation is begun the smaller diameter d of the disc 9 will compressively engage a portion of the boss 5 of larger diameter. The applied torque is thus converted to an inwardly directed compressive stress. Continued rotation of the disc relative to the boss 5 increases the interference fit and results in increased compressive stresses on the shank 8 of the boss 5. As the compressive stresses are increased, the tensile stresses across the container wall 2 are increased, with the weakened portion along the scored line 4 providing a line of least resistance to the tensile stresses. As the rivet illustrated is hollow, it is adapted to be deformed inwardly as the resistance of the score line residual is overcome and the score line 4 is fractured by the tension stresses resulting from the applied torque. Portion 3 may then be readily removed to permit access tothe container contents.

FIGURES 1 through 6 illustrate an opening device having a mechanical advantage which is equal to the outside diameter 0 of the disc 9 divided by the difference between the large diameter D of the boss or rivet 5 and the small diameter of the orifice d. The opening device, therefore, not only is adapted for ease of opening by a simple applied torque, without the need for independent implements, but also affords the added benefit of providing a mechanical advantage which produces high tensile stresses to effectively reduce the amount of torque which must be applied.

The height of the rivet 5 is by no means critical, so long as it is of suflicient size to permit deformation thereof to secure the opening member 9 against substantial translational movement with respect to the container wall. There is no critical cross-sectional configuration for the shank 8 of the rivet 5 or the orifice 7, so long as the shank 8 is adapted to cooperate with the shape of the orifice 7 to establish a compressive interference fit when the latter is subjected to a rotational movement relative to the former. It is obvious, however, that such an effect cannot be produced when either the shank 8 or the orifice 7 is circular. Therefore, the geometric configuration of both members should be non-circular.

In the embodiment employing a disc 9 as an opening member, it will be appreciated that the overlying position of the disc with respect to the container wall 2 will substantially reduce the amount of foreign particles which can accumulate in the score line and on adjacent wall portions. This acts to reduce the possibility of contamination of the contents upon opening of the container. Also, it will be appreciated that the disc 9 is readily accessible and may be grasped easily If desired, a flange 10, which may be disposed upwardly, downwardly or angularly, may be provided. In the preferred form, it is knurled for improved ease of gripping.

While a disc-like opening member is preferred, it is not necessary that the opening member be of this configuration. All that is required is that a suitable orifice and an adequate gripping portion are provided in order that torque may conveniently be applied to the boss 5.

In some uses, such as vial type containers for medicinal purposes, it may be desirable to provide a frangible member 12 underlying the container wall so that the contents will remain sterile even after the removable portion is severed. In such a use, after severance of the removable portion, a hypodermic needle would pierce the frangible member to gain access to the contents. Alternatively, an underlying rubber or plastic plug could be employed to provide additional protection for the container contents after opening has been effected and it could also function as a convenient reclosure where the contents are not entirely exhausted at the time of initial opening.

It will be appreciated that any tampering will be apparent, as once the score line is severed, the pieces remain separated. Permanent distortion of rivet upon opening also provides evidence of opening. These irreversible physical changes will provide a ready indication to the consumer that the integrity of the package has been impaired.

The closure is highly resistant to accidental opening as accidental application of a torsional moment required to open the container is most unlikely. Also, the design is such that it is unlikely that opening would be effected by the application of other types of forces which might be accidentally applied.

Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be made Without departing from the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container opening device comprising (a) a container Wall;

(b) a removable portion of said wall defined by at least one weakened line;

(c) a rotatable opening member adjacent said wall and having a non-circular orifice therein;

(6) fastening means passing through said orifice of said opening member and securing said opening member to said wall;

(e) a portion of said fastening means having a noncircular cross-sectional configuration adapted for rotational interference fit with said opening member; and

(f) means for transmitting tension stresses, resulting from torque applied to said fastening means, to said weakened line, whereby rotation of said opening member creates a compressive interference fit between said member and said fastening means, thereby creating tension stresses which sever said weakened line and permit removal of said removable portion of said wall.

2. The container opening device of claim 1 wherein said fastening means is a rivet formed from the material of said Wall.

3. The container opening device of claim 2 wherein said opening member is a disc having a flanged periphery.

4. The container opening device of claim 3 wherein said orifice in said disc is substantially centrally disposed and said flange is knurled.

5. The container opening device of claim 2 wherein said opening member has a torque-applying gripping portion longitudinally displaced from said orifice.

6. The container opening device of claim 2 wherein the cross-sectional configuration of the shank of said rivet is substantially identical with the configuration of said orifice of said opening member.

7. The container opening device of claim 2 wherein said orifice and the shank of said rivet are both of substantially oval configuration.

8. The container opening device of claim 3 wherein said orifice and the shank of said rivet are both of substantially the same configuration.

9. A container opening device comprising (a) a closure having a panel portion and a skirt portion;

(b) a removable portion of said panel portion defined by at least one scored line;

(c) a rotatable substantially circular flanged disc adjacent said panel portion and having a non-circular orifice substantially centrally disposed therein;

(d) a rivet fastening means formed from the material of said panel passing through said orifice of said disc and securing said disc to said panel portion;

(e) a portion of said fastening means having a noncircular cross-sectional configuration adapted for rotational interference engagement with said disc; and

(f) means for transferring tension stresses, resulting from torque applied to said fastening means, to said scored line, whereby severance of said line is effected.

10. The container opening device of claim 9 wherein said device has sealing means underlying said panel portion.

11. The container opening device of claim 10 wherein said sealing means is a frangible sheet.

12. The container opening device of claim 10 wherein said sealing means is a resilient stopper.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,404,879 7/1946 Lateur 22048 XR 3,160,309 12/1964 Rivas 220--27 3,025,988 3/1962 Williams 220-27 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE COMPRISING (A) A CONTAINER WALL; (B) A REMOVABLE PORTION OF SAID WALL DEFINED BY AT LEAST ONE WEAKENED LINE; (C) A ROTATABLE OPENING MEMBER ADJACENT SAID WALL AND HAVING A NON-CIRCULAR ORIFICE THEREIN; (D) FASTENING MEANS PASSING THROUGH SAID ORIFICE OF SAID OPENING MEMBER AND SECURING SAID OPENING MEMBER TO SAID WALL; (E) A PORTION OF SAID FASTENING MEANS HAVING A NONCIRCULAR CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION ADAPTED FOR ROTATIONAL INTERFERENCE FIT WITH SAID OPENING MEMBER; AND (F) MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING TENSION STRESSES, RESULTING FROM TORQUE APPLIED TO SAID FASTENING MEANS,TO SAID WEAKENED LINE, WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID OPENING MEMBER CREATES A COMPRESSIVE INTERFERENCE FIT BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID FASTENING MEANS, THEREBY CREATING TENSION STRESSED WHICH SEVER SAID WEAKENED LINE AND PERMIT REMOVAL OF SAID REMOVABLE PORTION OF SAID WALL. 